Liverpool are the only side to beat runaway leaders Manchester City in the Premier League this season in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield in January.

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola attends a press conference on the eve of the UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-final football match against Liverpool, at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, north west England on April 3, 2018.(AFP)

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola promised to stick by his principles and attack Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, despite admitting he is playing into his opponents’ hands.

Liverpool are the only side to beat runaway leaders City in the Premier League this season in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield in January.

The hosts’ fearsome front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were all on target that day as part of their combined tally of 75 goals this season.

However, Guardiola’s bold brand of attacking football has been accompanied by success everywhere he has gone in a stellar coaching career from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now at City.

And he believes that is the best way for City to reach just their second ever Champions League semi-final, but the eighth in his nine seasons as a top-flight coach.

“I know the way we play is perfect for Liverpool because they are a team that attack the space unlike any other team in the world, especially Mane, Salah, Firmino, they are so good,” said Guardiola on Tuesday.

“This club is already so full of history and we have to write our own history,” said Klopp when quizzed whether he was seeking inspiration from Liverpool’s glory days in Europe.

“People meet me in the street and they can tell me each goal Liverpool who scored 37 years ago in the 56th minute... we need to be proud of our history but we need to create our own history.”

Both sides have been struck by injury problems as City’s top scorer Sergio Aguero hasn’t travelled with the rest of Guardiola’s squad due to a knee problem that has kept the Argentine sidelined for the past month.

Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip will miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury, while Adam Lallana will miss both legs against City due to a hamstring injury suffered in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

German midfielder Emre Can missed that match and remains a doubt with a back injury.